Wallingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Wallingham is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wallingham family lived in Norfolk, at Little Walsingham or Great Walsingham. "This place, which is also called Old Walsingham, was formerly of considerable importance. " [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. Regarding Little Walsingham, "this place, sometimes denominated New Walsingham, was of great celebrity, for many centuries, as possessing a shrine of the Virgin, or Our Lady of Walsingham, founded in 1061 by the widow of Ricoldie Faverches, whose son, Sir Galfridus, confirmed her endowment, and established a monastery for Augustine canons." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Early Origins of the Wallingham family

The surname Wallingham was first found in Norfolk at Walsingham where the first of this name was a chronicler of Normandy and of Norman nobility, William of Walthingham, who appears in connection with the church of Pictariville in Normandy about the year 990. Another family seat was found at Barnes in Surrey. "Elizabeth granted the manorhouse to Sir Francis Walsingham, who, in 1589, entertained that sovereign and her court here." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

One of the first records of the family was John Walsingham or Walsingam (d. 1340?), the English theologian, said to have been educated at the house of the Carmelites or White Friars at Burnham, Norfolk. Later, Thomas Walsingham (d. 1422) was a monk and historian, believed to have been a native of Norfolk. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print

Early History of the Wallingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wallingham research.Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1490, 1550, 1462, 1540, 1532, 1590, 1573, 1561, 1630, 1669, 1614, 1640, 1668 and 1621 are included under the topic Early Wallingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wallingham Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Wallingham are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Wallingham include Walthingham, Walthinghame, Walsingham, Walsinghame, Walsinham, Walsincham and many more.

Early Notables of the Wallingham family (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Edmund Walsingham (1490?-1550), lieutenant of the Tower of London, was elder son of James Walsingham (1462-1540); Sir Francis Walsingham (c. 1532-1590), principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 1573 until his death, popularly remembered as her "spymaster"; Sir Thomas Walsingham... Another 103 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wallingham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wallingham family to the New World and Oceana

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Wallingham, or a variant listed above: Thomas Walsingham who settled in Virginia in 1610; ten years before the "Mayflower"; Mr. Walsingham arrived in San Francisco Cal. in 1850.